Defining Luxury

by Lisa Peck, ASID
As we spend summer days lolling in the sunshine, enjoying fresh food from the garden and the pleasures of sitting on a dock reading, I would like to pose the question....What is luxury?
You may have an idea of luxury that's been defined by marketing and media...luxury lifestyle, luxury brands. I would like to challenge you to think about a personal definition of luxury. To think about what luxury means to you.
For every individual and family the answer may be different.
Eliza Doolittle defined her idea of luxury in these lyrics...
All I want is a room somewhere,
Far away from the cold night air,
With one enormous chair.
Oh, wouldn't it be loverly?
Lots of chocolate for me to eat.
Lots of coal makin' lots of 'eat.
Warm face, warm 'ands, warm feet.
Oh, wouldn't it be loverly?
I would include many things on my list of surrounding myself with luxury some of them quite simple and easily achieved...a comfortable bed with soft linens, like Eliza, a comfortable chair that I can sit quietly in, a perfect reading spot, a bathtub that suits my perfectly, hand-crafted furnishings and accessories,things that function truly well,  good lighting and art that makes my heart sing.
If you are starting a design project, I would think about what luxury means to you, what are the pleasures in life you don't want to be without and include these items when discussing your project with a design professional or on your must have list. Over the next few days, I will discuss a few values that I think define luxury and how you can plan them into your home.